Refrigerating apparatus



Patented Mar. s, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

FRANK E. WILLIAMS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISQOURI, ASSIGN 'OR TO POLAR ELECTRICRE- FRIGERATOR CORPORATION, OF-ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OFK19- SOURI.

REFRIGERATING -A.'PPARATUS.

I Application filed August 6, 1925. Serial No. 48,511.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus, and moreparticularlyto a cooler especially applicable to household refr gerationpurposes. Two other applications for modified forms of refrigeratingapparatus and one for a refrigerated cabinet including such an apparatushave been filed by the .same inventor concurrently with thisapplication. An object. of this invention is to provide a brine coolerhaving compartments or cavi ties therein adapted for receiving andcoolinlg containers for making'ice cubes and the li e. v Another objectis to provide an evaporator or vaporizer which maybe rapidly andeconomically constructed and assembled.

Another object is to provide a vaporizer having cooling tubes and whichis so constructed that bends in the tubesare unnecessary, thus avoidingthe constrictions which.

usually occur at such bends in tubes and which impede the flow ofrefrigerant therethrough.

Another object is to provide a vaporizer in the interior of the brinetank whose configuration is sleeve of the'tank surrounding each coolingcompartment has juxtaposed to all-portions thereof in the brine chamberrespective portions of the vaporizer. This distributionof the severalportions of the vaporizer in the tank contributes to an even cooling ofall sides of the cooling compartment, supplementing the function of thecirculating brine in this respect.

Another object is to provide means which will change in volume of thebrine in the tank l0 resulting from change in temperature so as to keepthe brine chamber completely filled with brine at all times.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the'course of the followingdescription of 15 a preferred embodiment of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, inwhich like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur:Figural is a front of this invention;

Figure 2 isa sectional view taken on line 2-2 in Figure 1;

elevation of the cooler the such that the entire wall or compensateautomatically for the line 33 in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on' the line 1-4 in Figure 2.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the' The illustrated structureconsists of asheet-metal brine tank 1 havinga front wall 2, rear wall 3,side walls 4, top wall 5, andbottom wall 6. A shell 7 is secured to thetop wall and co-operates therewith to form an auxiliary chamber 8disposed .overrthe brine chamber proper and connected therewith byperforations 9 in the portion of the top wall 5 which serves as apartition between the said chambers. A horizontal row of verticallyelongated apertures '10 are dis-, posed in the lower portions of thevfront wall 2 and rear wall 3. Horizontal sleeves or walls 11 connectthe front and rear walls, the open ends of the said sleeves being inregistration with the corresponding apertures 10, and the sleeveflanges12 at the said ends making a fluid-tight joint with the i saidfront and rear walls. The ducts or cavities 13 enclosed by the sleeves11 form compartments in which may be placed containersl l adapted forfreezing water into cubes'of ice. The sleeves 11 also provide an aircooling surface for the brine tank in addition to that afforded by thewalls of the tank.

The front wall 2 has an aperture 15 in its upper portion 'to receivethecylindrical end or. boss 16 or a vaporizer header-17 disposed within thetank 1. The boss 16 has an opening 18 therethrough toaiford access tothe interior of the header 1?, and the said opening is normally closedby means of a cover 19, preferably secured thereto by means of screws20. Screw-threaded open ings 21 and 22 are provided in the cap 19 to.facilitate making piping connections to a refrigerant circulatingsystem, which connections are not shown since they are old and wellknown to those skilled in the art. The inner side of the opening 22 mayalso be connected to suitable means for controlling the level of liquidrefrigerant in the header 17, such as a float-controlled valve, whichmeans are also well known, and therefore not shown herein. The boss 16projects from a flange 23 on the front end of the header 17, and thesaidflange .23 is connected in a fluid-tight manscrew threaded thereon,

ner to the front wall 2, preferably by means of screws 24. The upperportion 25 of header 17 is preferably cylindrical in form, developingatits lower portion into a wide and shallow hollow substantiallyrectangular distributing portion 26 extended horizontally in oppositedirections from the centrally disposed upper portion 25. Thedistributing portion 26 comprises upper walls 27, formed ascontinuationsof the cylindrical wall 28, and a lower wall 29.

A plurality of bosses 34 with openings 35 therethrough are formedexteriorly on the lower wall 29 of header 17. Vertical tubes 38, closedat their lower ends by caps 30 have their open upper ends inserted inthe openings 35. In

the present instance, there are four hori-,

zontal rows of such vertical tubes 38, each row comprising six tubes. Ofcourse, any suitable number of rows and tubes may be used, depending onthe number of compartments 13 and the size of the cooler. The

two intermediate rows pass between respec-,

tive adjacent sleeves 11, an each of the outer rows is interposedbetween a corresponding side wall 4 and an adjacent sleeve 11. The pipes38 are secured in the openin s 35 in a fluid-tight manner, being preferaly soldered thereto. A block 31 of wood or' woodlike material rests onthe tank bottom 6, and supports an angle-iron frame 32 disposed aroundthe margin of the tank. The caps 30 of those tubes 38-disposed about themargin of the header portion 26 bear on' the frame 32.

Liquid refri erant, preferably sulphur dioxide, is supp ied to the upperchamber39 in header 17 through opening 22 therein from any suitablecompressing and liquefying apparatus included in the refrigerantcirculating system. The liquid refrigerant flows into chamber 39 andshallow chamber 40 of hollow header 17, and thence down the tubes 38 tothe bottom thereof. The liquid boils in the evaporator comprising thesaid header and pipes, absorbing heat from the surrounding brine in thesheet metal tank 1. The vapor arising in the pipes and header eventuallyreaches the vapor space in the u per portion of the chamber 39, from wenceit is drawn off by the suction of the compressor included in therefrigerant circulating system. The term brine as used here- 'in is tobe construed broadly as including any suitable anti-freezing solution,such as alcohol, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and the like, thelatter solution being preferable. It is worthy of note that with thisconstruction the coolin compartments or cavities 13 are surronn ed onall sides by portions of the evaporator, thus insuring a comparativelyevenly distributed cooling effect on all sides of the compartments 13.The evenness of cooling is, of course, further upper portion of the tankcools as improved by the circulation of the brine in the tank 1.

It is preferable to keep the tank entirely filled with brine at .alltimes, so that the effectively as the .lower portion. To this end theauxiliary chamber 8 is rovided on top of the tank. The top wal of thechamber 3 enlarges or bends upwardly at 33 to form an air pocket 37,which opens laterally into a nipple 41 secured thereto, and having a cap42 screw threaded thereon and provided with an'openiw 43 therein. Thetank and auxiliary chain 1' are filled with brine through the nipple 41,the cap 42, of course,

having been removed for the urpose. Cap 42, when screwed on the nipp e41, prevents a too rapid evaporation of the brine from the tank, butpermits enough air to pass through the opening 43 therein to equalizethe pressure on the inside and outside of the tank when the volume ofthe brine changes with the temperature. When the volume of the br necontracts, brine flows from the auxiliary chamber 8 through theperforations 9 into the brine chamber proper, and'when the brine thereinexpands, the excess passes up through the openings 9 into the chamber 8.A valve 44 may be connected to the lower sels .when respectively fillingand emptying the tank 1.

Haying thus fully described this invention, I hereby reserve the.benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, asit is evident that many minor changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention or the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A hollow header for a refrigerant vaporizer having a main chamber anda relatively thinner distributing chamber opening from the main chamber,the thinner chamber having an extended lateral wall provided with aplurality of pipe-connecting openings therethrough.

2. A hollow header for a refri erant vaporizer having a relativel thinan wide horizontally-extended distri utin chamber enlarging upwardly atits midde portion to form a vapor-receiving chamber.

3. A brine tank having a shell secured to the top wall and co-operatingtherewith to form a second chamber superposed on the main chamber in thetank, the portion of the top wall partitioning the said chambers beingperforated.

4. A brine tank having a shell secured to Ill) i the top wall of thenipple'.

and co-ope rating therewith to form a second chamber superposed on andcommunicating with the main chamber in the tank, and meansvdisposed inthe upper portion of] the'second chamber to maintain the top surface ofthe brine therein at atmospheric pressure.

5. A brineitank having a'shell secured to the top wall and co-operatingtherewith to form 'a second chamber superposed on and communicating withthe main chamber in the tank, a portion of the shell bulging upwardlyabove its upper side, a nipple connected laterally to the upwardlybulging portion, and a perforated cap on (I. A refrigerating apparatuscomprising a tank having a series of ducts extending from the front andrear faces thereof, a header disposed in the upper portion of said tank,said header embodying a main chamher and a lower distributing chamberopening from the main chamber and extending laterally from the oppositesides thereof anda plurality of tubes depending from the bottom of saiddistributing chamber and hav- ,lIig their lower ends closed.

7. A refrigerating apparatus col'nprising a tank havinga plurality ofhorizontally disposed ducts opening from the front to the rear faces ofsaid tank, there being an auxiliary chamber arranged on the top of saidtank and communicatingtherewith, a vaporizer header embodying main anddis- 35 tributing chan'lbers, said distributing cham ber presenting awide and shallow-hollow the outer end space substantially rectangular inform, and a plurality of vertical tubes closed at their lower ends andhaving their upper ends connected to the base portion of saiddistribut-r' I 'ing chamber. -8. A refrigerating apparatus comprisingatank having av plurality of apertures extending horizonta ly'thereof, ashelf portion arranged on the top of said tank-and defining anaux liarychamber in communication with sa1d tank, a vaporizer header disposedwithin the upper-portion of said tank, the upper portion of said headerbeing cylindrical in form, developing at itslower por- I .tion into awide and shallow. hollow sub- 9. A refrigerating apparatus comprising atank having a plurality of apertures extending horizontally thereof, avaporizer header disposed within the upper portion of said tank, theupper portion of said header being cylindrical in form, developing atits lower portion into a wide and shallow hollow distributing portionextending horizontally in opposite directions and vertical tubes closedat their lower endsand having their upper ends connected to the baseportion of said header.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRANK E. WILLIAMS.

